Rubaboo facts for kids

Rubaboo is a traditional stew or thick soup. It was a very important food for the coureurs des bois and voyageurs. These were French fur traders who traveled across North America. It was also eaten by the Métis people, who are a group of Indigenous people in Canada.

This dish is usually made from peas or corn. It also includes fat, often from bear or pork. To make it thick, people added bread or flour. Sometimes, pemmican (a dried meat mixture) and maple sugar were mixed in.

Rubaboo made by the Plains Métis often included pemmican. They might also add meat like rabbit or prairie chicken. Many wild vegetables were used too, such as wild parsnip, onion, turnip, and asparagus. People added these based on what they liked or what was available.

What is Rubaboo?

Rubaboo is a hearty meal, perfect for people who needed a lot of energy. Fur traders and Métis people spent long days traveling and working. This stew gave them the strength they needed.

It's a simple dish but very filling. It could be cooked over a campfire. This made it easy to prepare while on long journeys.

Where Did Rubaboo Come From?

The name "Rubaboo" comes from two different languages. Part of the word, roux, is French. A roux is a mixture of fat and flour used to thicken sauces. The other part, aboo, comes from an Algonquian language. It means "soup."

So, "Rubaboo" basically means "thick soup." This name perfectly describes the dish.

Even though pemmican can be added to Rubaboo, they are different foods. Pemmican is a dried food that can be eaten on its own. Rubaboo is a cooked stew. However, both foods are very important in Métis history and culture.